The new reactors at Hinkley Point C in Somerset will be capable of producing 7% of the UK’s electricity.
According to a report in The Guardian, the two planned pressurised water reactors are the first in the UK since the Sizewell B power station came online in 1995.
The new reactors will cost £14bn and are due to start operating in 2023 if constructed on time and will run for 35 years. They will be capable of producing 7% of the UK’s electricity – equivalent to the amount used by 7m homes.
The Guardian says that the new power station shows Britain is taking a sharply different route to Germany, which has decided to phase out nuclear power, and Italy, which has scrapped a planned nuclear programme. France, traditionally the nuclear enthusiast, has pledged to cut atomic power to 50% of its electricity mix from 75% today. Read the full article.
